Security forces have killed 34 terrorists linked to the Indian-backed Fitna al-Khawarij group in a series of intelligence-based operations (IBOs) across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Thursday.
According to the military’s media wing, the operations were carried out between October 13 and 15 in North Waziristan, South Waziristan, and Bannu districts. “During these operations, thirty-four khawarij belonging to the Indian-proxy Fitna al-Khawarij were eliminated in multiple engagements,” the ISPR stated, using the term khawarij for terrorists affiliated with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The first operation took place in the Spinwam area of North Waziristan, where troops engaged the militants’ positions and killed 18 terrorists after an intense exchange of fire. Another IBO was conducted in South Waziristan, resulting in the deaths of eight more militants. A third encounter in Bannu also left eight terrorists dead.
“Sanitisation operations are being conducted to eliminate any other Indian-sponsored terrorists found in the area,” the ISPR added, stressing that the counterterrorism campaign under Azm-e-Istehkam approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan would continue “at full pace” to eradicate foreign-backed militancy.
The operations come amid escalating tensions between Islamabad and Kabul, as Pakistan continues to accuse the Afghan Taliban government of sheltering TTP militants. A recent United Nations Security Council report also confirmed links between Kabul and the TTP, alleging that the group receives logistical and financial support from Afghanistan.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant attacks since the TTP ended a ceasefire in November 2022. According to ISPR data, security forces conducted over 10,000 operations in 2025 alone, killing 970 terrorists while losing 311 personnel in the ongoing fight against militancy.